Frequently, occasions arise where two or more parties wish to communicate with each other in real-time but are unable to do so because the parties do not have access to a common communication medium. For example, one party might have access to only a voice medium (e.g., a telephone) while the other party has access to only a data medium (e.g., a personal digital assistant). Similarly, a first party might be using an instant messaging service (i.e., data), while a second party is using a wireless phone (i.e., voice).
Other occasions arise where one or more of the parties is in a situation that is not conducive to common media conversation. For example, one party might be using a telephone, but the other is in a meeting and cannot receive audio or respond with audio. In such a circumstance, the second party might prefer to use a text (i.e., data) based communication device, such as an alpha pager, a text phone, or a PDA, for example.
Sometimes, the parties simply prefer to use different communication media for whatever reasons.
In such situations, the parties are typically unable to communicate with one another in real-time because a communication device operating in a data mode (i.e., in a mode that enables the device to send and receive data, such as text, for example) is unable to communicate with a communication device operating in an audio mode (i.e., in a mode that enables the device to send and receive audio, such as speech, for example). It would be advantageous, therefore, if systems and methods were available that enabled parties using disparate communications devices to conduct a real-time conversation.